summer update #2

Because I'm sure you've been wondering what the Lee's have been up to all summer, here ya go:

Our church's youth camp...included such adventures as Ellie's first tubing ride on the lake (which she LOVED) and her first emergency visit to the local clinic (head injury from falling off the top bunk bed in the middle of the night...ended up being more of a traumatic experience for mom than it was for her).




Lots of birthday parties and playdates, including cousin Jon's Ninja Birthday Party, and friend Eden's Princess Party, with a special appearance by REAL Princesses! (or at least REALLY pretty girls dressed in pink prom dresses like princesses:)


And fun times spent outdoors with all the family and friends we love & adore...

Ellie & Jackson in Buhl...




Be sure to stay tuned for more summer adventures from the Lee's including kids camp, pool days, family vacation, Ellie's first day of Kindergarten, birthdays, and camping trips!!

summer update #1

more highlights of our summer...so far:

Renaissance Fair in Meridian...if you want some entertaining people-watching, you must go to a Renaissance Fair!! I had to convince Ellie that Renaissance princesses didn't wear pink...told her it was before pink was invented:)



Craft Day with good friend, Keto (Krystal Bingham)...included a "food color" theme and projects like shaving creme paintings, sand art, coffee filter butterflies, and making pink-colored toast for lunch. The girls LOVED it!





Trip to Buhl to visit family...Ellie & cousin Jackson watching cartoons.


Our float in the Meridian Dairy Days...we conquered the rainstorm and persevered...and it was so much fun!




First carnival rides of the season...

ellie's got talent

we all know she can do ballet, but here are some of the other styles she's training in (ok, not really training...just learning from "so you think you can dance")...she is a pretty mean hula hooper...

ellie's got talent from jennifer lee on Vimeo.

ellie's ballet recital

Ellie made her debut on the big stage in the classical ballet piece, "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary". I made my debut as a stage mom, I think I was more nervous than Ellie! Thankfully, our good friend and seasoned stage mom, Robin, offered to do Ellie's stage makeup and ballerina bun. Of course, I shed a few tears as she danced so beautifully and passionately (watch for the curtsy at the end, she was sooo proud!).

ellie's recital 09 from jennifer lee on Vimeo.

cardboard dreams

these people are ordinary people with extraordinary faith...with a story of overcoming fear to see their God dream achieved...i want to be like these people


Cardboard Dreams from Capital Christian Media on Vimeo.

this was in response to Pastor Ken Wilde's amazing series on going after the dreams God has for you, called "Forward Together" at our church, Capital Christian Center

bubbs....

there's nothin' like a kid being chosen into a family...we have mad love for Bubba Grove, read about his story at my friend's blog

we were there, waiting impatiently in the waiting room, for the little one to come into the world, and for his mom to arrive from seattle...hoping those two moments would happen as close to each other as possible...such fond memories, such a blessing to have amazing friends

i want to go back to kindergarten!

i did the unthinkable this week...i put my little girl on a school bus...all by herself.

even though it was just for kindergarten orientation (a tour of the school, classrooms, library, gym, and a bus safety teaching), many of you asked how i handled it. surprisingly, i didn't shed a tear!

maybe it was because i was too distracted with the wonder of a small library filled with new adventures that i knew ellie would be discovering on her own...

maybe it was because i was too observant of the creative inspiration made from little hands that plastered the hallways...

maybe it was because i was restraining myself from jumping in at the playdough station, the coloring station, the puzzles station...

or maybe it was because i saw my little girl gain a world of confidence as she climbed down those towering bus steps, skipped over to me with the biggest smile i've ever seen, and exclaim, "mom, i made a new friend, all by myself! his name is jacob, and we said 'nice to meet you' and we talked the whole time we were on our bus ride!"

all i could do was share in her contagious excitement of the whimsy and adventure of a whole new world...KINDERGARTEN!!

and now, i'm a little jealous...i want to go back to kindergarten!

{ellie hanging out with "buster", the remote control, talking bus that taught the kids bus safety...a genius invention!}